Measles cases in Canada spark call for pop-up vaccine clinics in Winnipeg's inner city
No confirmed cases so far in Manitoba
A community activist wants Manitoba Public Health to set up pop-up immunization clinics in Winnipeg's inner city to make it easier for people to get the measles vaccine — something some experts are recommending to help protect against the highly contagious disease.
There's been a rise in measles cases in Europe and several cases detected in Canada, but none confirmed so far in Manitoba.
"I think asking them, which is the official response, please go to your family doctor and check this out, that's not a reasonable response," said Catherine Flynn, chair of the Point Douglas Residents Committee. "I think what we should be doing is getting some pop-up clinics … and allowing parents and children to get vaccinated immediately."
Seventeen cases of measles have been confirmed in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, with more than half in the Montreal area, while one Ontario case has been linked to a high school.
Dr. Joss Reimer, president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association, expressed concern about people getting exposed to the disease during travel to other provinces and countries, especially with the start of spring break just over two weeks away.
"It's a plane ride away," Reimer said in an interview Tuesday morning on CBC's Information Radio with Marcy Markusa. "If folks are going to Europe, if they're going to Quebec, many other parts of the world, it is possible to bring it back, and we know that our vaccine rates are lower than they should be."
WATCH | Dr. Joss Reimer explains the risks of measles:
Dr. Davinder Singh, a provincial medical officer of health, previously told CBC vaccination rates for measles in Manitoba dropped after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said 78.1 per cent of two-year-olds in the province had the vaccine at the end of 2022, compared to about 85.5 per cent in 2020.
The measles virus spreads through close personal contact with an infected person and through the air when someone who's infected coughs or sneezes, according to Manitoba Public Health's website.
It can spread through droplets that can stay in the air for several hours and infection can result in serious illness or death.
Initial symptoms, which may include a fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, irritability and red eyes, begin to appear seven to 18 days after exposure. A red, blotchy rash on the face progressing down the body can appear three to seven days after the onset of symptoms.
Reimer said the best defence against the disease is making sure you and your children are up to date on measles shots.
"If you get two doses of a measles vaccine, it's 97 per cent effective," Reimer said. "It's incredibly good at protecting people."
Reimer said it can be presumed most people born before 1970 have acquired natural immunity because of the spread of the measles before that year.
For people born between 1970 and 1985, Reimer said it's recommended they get one dose, which she said most people have already received due to vaccination programs during that time.
Anyone born during 1985 or after should have two doses of the vaccine, Reimer said.
She said you can find out from a doctor if you're up to date.
"Not only can you call your public health office … your physician will also be able to look that up for you and tell you if you've had zero doses, one dose, two doses and they can help get you caught up if you need to be," Reimer said.
Addressing barriers to vaccination
Flynn said there can be barriers for people in her neighbourhood in accessing those services.
"I think with the population that we deal with, we've got a lot of people who move more often than average, so they may lack continuity of care," she said. "They may not have a family doctor yet or have had trouble getting one."
Community-based clinics were used to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic and Flynn thinks it would only make sense to do the same for measles.
"We've got some forewarning, at least a couple weeks, no cases yet. So it seems to me we know how to set up these mobile clinics, it seems to me we should be able to do that quite quickly," Flynn said.
She's written to Manitoba Public Health to push for pop-up vaccine clinics in the area but hasn't heard back.
CBC asked the province Tuesday afternoon if it's considering the idea but did not receive an answer to that question by Tuesday night.
Amanda Bokovay, director of Eagle Wing Early Education child care centre, said approximately 90 per cent of the 69 kids who go there are already vaccinated, according to information volunteered by parents.
"That's everyone's choice," Bokovay said. "It's on part of our intake form and most people put it on. Very rarely do I have someone who doesn't."
Still, she welcomes the idea of pop-up clinics to get more people vaccinated.
"Remove as many barriers as you can. Make it accessible."
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With files from Arturo Chang and The Canadian Press